Happy New Year, Hive Learners Community!
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Kabiur Rahman Riyad From Unsplash
The manner with which the prices of things skyrocketed in the past year needs to be studied. It was as if there was a rumor somewhere that something was coming and sellers needed to increase the price, reduce the quality and quantity to sell to the buyers in order to survive. But that is just my analogy.
It is highly disturbing how many basic things that I could afford without batting an eye or even thinking twice about it has become difficult to get now. Someone told me that if I can't afford to buy it multiple times, then it is a luxury item and I agree with him. There are many things that I used to be able to get multiple times in a row, knowing that the prices were fair enough and the money I made was enough to afford it whenever I wanted, but unfortunately, that is not the case anymore as those things are not basic items anymore but have now become luxury items today.
Even these days one cannot afford to go out as often as they used to because the cost of transporting yourself to the venue alone is enough to cover the food bill and then some, this is for those who don't have a private car and who public vehicle drivers take great pride in ripping off. Before now, when transporting oneself to any venue in particular one had to worry only about the crazy traffic that would definitely be waiting and being punctual as well, but now crazy transportation fees have been added to the mix and it has become a thing of anxiety and worry.
It is so crazy because the day you have high hopes that this is just a phase and that the economy will revert to the way it used to be or some semblance of it at least, things would get worse than before and I am beginning to doubt that it is even a phase anymore and that this is getting to be the new normal because from the reactions I don't think anything is going to be done about it because fellow Nigerians are out there busy surviving and adapting to the horrible situation, one which I find very difficult to adapt to.
The most expensive thing I spent my money on last year was data bundles and airtime packages and it already seems like history will repeat itself in 2026. It is popular knowledge that these service providers, especially those in Nigeria, are exploiting customers so badly and the customers don't even know it, or we know about it but we're busy surviving and adapting and we're already used to surviving and adapting to things. Ever since they conducted a review of their old prizes for the old bundle packs, it all went downhill. Service became poor and the data bundles size were drastically reduced for expensive prices and on top of that the data bundles do not last for the stipulated time especially when they are to last for at least a month. Also, the automatic bonuses that come with every recharge seem to have vanished into thin air. Before, I used to get bonus credit that can be used for browsing and calls every time I recharge and I used to see it as a form of compensation but I don't get that anymore and it is very disappointing.
The amount of money that I spent on data alone in the past year, if put together, should be enough to get me something substantial that could last me for years. Added to that the speed the data bundles run is very, very disturbing.
Usually, I'd have said that I bought this expensive dress or a very expensive shoe but that is not the case because the way we're being handled by these service providers is not normal and airtime recharge and data bundles do take a lot of my money.
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Have a wonderful year ahead, Hive Learners Community..
